FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long have I got to Make a Claim?

Do I have a Valid Claim?

Will I have to Pay Anything at all to Bring my Claim?

Will I keep all of the Monies that are Awarded to me?

Will I have to enter into and Credit or Loan Agreement?

What happens next once I've submitted my Claim Enquiry?

How much Compensation will I receive?

How long will my Claim take?

How long have I got to Make a Claim?

Generally speaking, there is a limitation period of 3 years from the date of injury or knowledge of the injury. In ordinary accidents such as on the road, at work or slipping / tripping, this would normally be 3 years from the date of the accident. However, in relation to other things like Industrial Disease, this would generally be 3 years from the date that you knew, or ought to have known, that you were suffering from such a disease or condition and that this was attributable to your employment or other place of negligent exposure. Completing our short online form will allow you to find out if you are still within time.

Do I have a Valid Claim?

Often, people think that they may have a claim but do nothing about it. Each year, Insurance Companies and others save millions of pounds because of people like this, who do not pursue a claim when they have a right to do so. At Porters Solicitors, we have a very simple theory:

• it costs nothing to ask
• you have nothing to lose
• if you don't ask, you'll never know

If you have had an accident that was not your fault, irrespective of the extent of the injury, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. In less than 5 minutes, by submitting a short and simple online form, you could have a solicitor acting on your behalf within 24 hours.

Will I have to Pay Anything at all to Bring my Claim?

In short - NO. Porters Solicitors offer a full and comprehensive No Win, No Fee product. Naturally, this means that if your claim is not successful, you do not pay a penny. However, if your claim is successful, it's simple; your Solicitor will recover your legal costs from the party who you are claiming against and again, this means that you never pay a penny. Your Solicitor will also check whether you have any policies of insurance or other forms of funding that you may have for bringing your claim but without realising it. Again, should such a policy exist, this will mean that you don't pay a penny, subject to the terms of conditions of your policy. If a Solicitor has done work on your case and continues to believe that there is still an adequate prospect of success and you withdraw your claim without acceptable reason to your solicitor, you may be required to pay the Solicitor for the work that they have done. Your solicitor will explain all of this to you prior to entering in to a No Win, No Fee agreement.

Will I keep all of the Monies that are Awarded to me?

Yes. It is an overly-used term, but you literally do keep every penny of any amounts awarded to you. The Solicitor who deals with your case will retrieve your legal costs from the party who you are claiming against which means that there are no deductions from any monentary compensation that you are awarded.

Will I have to enter into and Credit or Loan Agreement?

No. Upon taking your claim further, you will be asked to enter in to a No Win, No Fee Agreement (link to no win no fee, on opening page), subject to any legal expenses insurance policy you may hold that covers you for making your claim. The Conditional Fee Agreement is different to any credit or loan agreement as you will not be liable to pay anything if the case is not successful for any reason.

What happens next once I've submitted my Claim Enquiry?

Porters Solicitors endeavours to ensure that we contact you within 24 hours to discuss the merits of your claim with you.

How much Compensation will I receive?

Broadly speaking there are two main factors in any personal injury claim:

• Liability for causing your injury
• How much your claim is worth

Once the other side has admitted liability, the value of your claim will largely depend upon the medical evidence that is obtained on your behalf. You will have to attend an independent medical examination and the Report will be prepared after that. Once your Solicitor has obtained the medical report, they will provide you with advice on their valuation of the claim.

How long will my Claim take?

This is not possible to answer with any great accuracy. Some basic cases, such as road traffic accidents where liability is clear and the value of the claim does not appear significantly large, can be dealt with in a few months, whilst other cases with more complexity may take a while longer, even up to and over 1 - 2 years.